In this video interview, Edward Houghton describes his early years growing up on a farm ten miles northeast of Emporia, Kansas. Since his parents couldn't afford to send him to high school he worked for a cattle feeder for several years before following his brother and father to work for Santa Fe in Emporia. He details working on the transloading dock and relates many interesting stories about this job. He moved to Burlingame, Kansas, to accept a job as station helper. He joined the Air Force and was sent to a base in Alaska and explains how tough railroading was there. After returning home he worked a clerk job for fourteen years at the busy Pauline depot. He took a job as clerk at the Topeka Freight House before moving to the Topeka Passenger Depot where he sold tickets, called trains, and had many interesting stories about this time in his career. As the railroad was cutting back on personnel he decided to take a buy out and retired after almost forty five years with the railroad. This is one interview From the Echoes From The Steel Rails series produced by Railroad Memories Video Productions of Topeka, Kansas.

Creator: Railroad Memories Video Productions
Date: 2021